SEAFOOD STUFFED EGGPLANT2 medium eggplants (about 3/4 pound each), boiled*
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 slices firm white bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry
1/2 pound (1 cup) fresh crabmeat
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled
Salt, ground cayenne pepper and freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Gently split the boiled eggplants lengthwise and scoop out inner pulp, leaving 1/2 inch of flesh on all sides; set aside shells. Chop pulp and set aside.
Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet with the onions, celery and bell pepper. Heat to medium-high and saute, tossing frequently, until vegetables are wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add parsley and chopped eggplant pulp to sauteed vegetables in skillet. Crumble in the soaked bread and set aside.
Pick through crabmeat, discarding any shell. Cut all but the tiniest shrimp in half crosswise. Add crab and shrimp to stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and black pepper, and add a generous grating of nutmeg. Thoroughly mix stuffing ingredients.
TO STUFF AND BAKE:Lightly butter a casserole that will hold the eggplant shells in one layer and put shells in it. Divide the stuffing among the shells, mounding it up in the center of each shell.
Wipe out skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Melt over medium heat. Turn off heat and mix in bread crumbs until butter is evenly absorbed. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over eggplant.
Bake in center of oven until shrimp is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
TO BOIL EGGPLANTS:Half-fill a pot big enough to hold all the eggplants with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, wash whole eggplants under cold running water. When water is boiling briskly, add eggplants and a small handful of salt. Bring back to a boil, then partially cover and cook eggplants, turning them over frequently, until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Makes 4 servings
Source:
Beans, Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables by Damon Lee Fowler